Cycle fixture



H. L. KRAEFT Aug. 15, 1939.

CYCLE FIXTURE Filed April 19, 1937 2 Shaets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

H. L. KRAEFT CYCLE FIXTURE Aug. 15, 1939.

Filed April 19, 1937 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fz /ma/iz ml )4; 61% Z BY ATTORNEY5.

Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CYCLE FIXTURE Ohio Application April 19, 1937, Serial No. 137,629

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a fixture for cycles, which fixture is on the order of that shown in my prior application, Serial No. 106,184, filed October 17, 1936. The primary object is to provide an improved fixture of the type shown in said application.

A further object is to provide a device which is capable of being mounted on a cycle as a head lamp and/or sound-producing instrument and 1. battery holder, wherein parts of the electrical instrumentalities are supported on different units of the device, as complete assemblies, and electrical connection therebetween is established when the units are assembled in operating relall tionship.

Another object is to provide a simplified support for a battery and sound-producing device.

A further object is to provide an improved and simplified connection between casing parts of a lighting and/or signal instrument for use on a cycle.

A further object is to provide an improved electrical contact connector for relatively movable parts of a cycle fixture of the class shown.

' Further objects, including improvements in the disposition of electrical apparatus and control switches, will become apparent from the following description relating to the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred form. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a handle-bar showing the manner in which the fixture hereof may be related to the handlebar; Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal sectional view of the fixture, adjacent portion of the handle-bar and the supporting post for such handle-bar, as indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, as indicated by the line 3--3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the two main body assemblies of the fixture when positioned to permit changing of batteries; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the staggered line 5-5 on Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail bottom plan view of an attaching member for the forward portion of the top member of the fixture.

Referring further to the drawings, a handlebar of the common type is shown at I. The particular bar shown is for bicycles. This has the usual arrangement of handle grips 2. A substantially straight central portion of the handlebar is indicated at 3, and the outward arm portions of the bar bend rearwardly therefrom, as

indicated. The straight central portion of the handle-bar may be secured as by means of a clamp 4 to a handle-bar post. Portions only of the post are shown, but the post is of inverted L-shape, having a forwardly projecting arm 6, 5 which carries the clamp l. The clamp may have inside it the usual arrangement of split-ring I, embracing the portion 3 of the handle-bar, and clamping may be effected as by a bolt or screw 8. The post 5 extends downwardly in the usual head-cluster (not shown) of the cycle frame, and is attached to thefront or steering fork (not shown) as by means of a screw or bolt 9, passing through the post and having a head, such as 9a, surmounting the upright arm of the post. The handle-bar and post comprise the handle-bar assembly.

Referring now to the fixture per se, this, as shown, comprises a. cap HI, preferably made as a die-casting, a generally horizontal base member ll, preferably made of sheet-metal, and a bracket II, also preferably made of sheet-metal. The base and bracket may be fastened permanently together, as by welding.

The base ll may close as much of the bottom as desired, it having been found unnecessary to close the bottom at all, in view of the weather protection afforded by the top or cap. The shape of the base part II is best shown in Fig. 5. As shown, it comprises a metal strip, with a narrow rear portion and forwardly disposed laterally extending spaced arm portions l5. These are curved to extend partially around the straight portion 3 of the handle bar, shown-in Figs. 2 and 4, forming clasps (see Fig. 2). Preferably, the arms reach sufficiently far around the handle-bar so as to hold the front end of the base from being raised, thereby to prevent the base assembly from rattling. The rearward end, be-- yond the downward offset i6, rests on a horizontal fiange Ha. of the bracket l2. The bracket l2 extends generally diagonally downwardly and then curves rearwardly to overlie the upper part of the post 5, as at lib, and the flange portion I2b is clamped into place as by the head 9a of 45 the bolt 9.

With the base II and bracket l2 permanently attached to each other, as above mentioned, the apparatus which is carried on the base (particularly batteries B, and a sound instrument H), may be mounted on the handle-bar and post as a complete unit, by first slipping the bar clasping portions of the arms l5 over the handle-bar and then attaching the bracket I2 by means of the bolt 9, as described.

The support for the battery may comprise a pressed-metal cradle 26, the base portion of which is secured flatwise onto the top of the base. The cradle has spaced C-shaped arms 2i forming a spring clasp for the battery, (two separate dry cells B, being shown), and upwardly extending arms or brackets 21 and 25, which support contacts for the terminal portions of the cells. The bracket 25 also carries a spring contact arm, extending rearwardly underneath the cap and adapted to make automatic connections to circuit portions on the cap when the cap is set into place over the base, as will later be described more in detail. The spring contact 24 is electrically associated with the central pole of the lower battery, as shown on Fig. 5.

The sound instrument H (e. g. a vibrator with appropriate diaphragm) is suspended beneath the upstruck central portion of the base Ii, as by a screw 25, in which position the sound instrument is guarded by the base i l, bracket l2, and the side walls of the cap.

Referring further to the construction of the cap, it will be seen that this has downwardly curving side walls 30, integral with a rounded front wall II, which is apertured, as at 32, to receive a head light lens and reflector assembly to be described later. The side walls converge rearwardly and join at a relatively narrow rear wall 84. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the side walls are circularly recessed or notched, as at 65, on their under sides, to fit over the handlebar portion 5, the walls of the sides are locally thickened for reinforcement, as indicated particularly in Fig. 5, at the region of contact with the handle-bar.

To secure the handle-bar in the notches I5,

sheet-metal clasp members 36 are preferably used, one being illustrated in Fig. 6, and both in Fig. 5. These are pivoted, as on attaching screws 31, which extend upwardly into the thickened portions of the side walls 30, and may be made fast by lock washers. As suggested by broken lines in Fig. 6, each clasp may be swung aside, whereupon the cap can be moved downwardly into mounted position on the handle-bar or taken off. When the clasps are swung into cap-securing position (full lines, Figs. 5 and 6), upwardly extending lugs 66 on the rear end portions of the clasps abut respective adjacent side walls 50, preventing the clasps from being turned accidentally inwardly out of position, as in seating the screws.

The rearward attachment of the cap to the base and bracket assembly "-42, comprises, as shown, a central depending boss 36, formed as part of the cap casting, the lower end of which abuts the upper face of the base II. The boss carries a stud 40, which extends downwardly through aligned openings in the base and bracket (see Fig. 2), and a suitable quickly detachable securing means, such as a wing-nut ll, may be associated with the lower end of the stud, to clamp the rear portion of the cap tightly in place.

The lens and reflector of the light, mentioned above, and indicated at and 46, respectively, form an assembly which is insertable into the forwardly positioned opening 52 of the front wall II, from inside the cap. This assembly may be held in place by a spring contact member of simple construction, already shown and claimed in my prior application. The lens which is preferably made of insulative material, such as Bakelite or Celluloid, has a stepped flange 41, part of which seats against the margin of the opening 31 to prevent outward movement of the lens, and part of which forms a retainer for the outer rim portion 46 of the reflector. The reflector is of metal and centrally apertured and/or threaded, as desired, to receive the threaded shank of a light bulb 46. The shank extends through the reflector, and makes electrical contact therewith at the threaded connection. The central terminal of the bulb contacts with a. sheet-metal strip 50, which, as can be seen from Figs. 2 and 5, has its ends sprung over a pair of flange effects 5|, extending inwardly from the side walls 65 of the cap. The strip 56 grounds one terminal of the light bulb to the cap, as will be obvious, and the lens 55, by reason of its seating flange effect 41, prevents the reflector 46 from being grounded.

The necessary controls for the electrical apparatus described are mounted permanently on the cap, and preferably on the side walls in the positlons indicated. The operating handle for the light switch is shown at 55, in Fig. 1, and the horn button at 56. Preferably, the switch controlled by 55 is a sliding type switch which will remain in position when the arm 55 is adjusted forwardly and rearwardly; and the button 56 a suitable spring-released button, which breaks contact as soon as the button is released. Such switches are well known, and any form thereof may be used. The individual switch housings may be fastened to the inside of the cap, as by rivets,as suggested in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The housing 61 for the horn button (see Figs. '2 and 3) insulatingly supports a terminal member 56. This has a depending spring arm, which makes contact with an electrical terminal in the form of a stud on the sound instrument H. when the cap is set down on the base i I, as illustrated in both Figs. 2 and 3. The sound instrument is additionally connected in circuit with the battery, as by reason of both the battery and the general housing for the sound instrument being grounded to the base ii. A central terminal 62 is insulatingly carried on the horn button housing 51, and a wire 63 leads from the central terminal to another portion of the circuit. The central terminal 62 and the depending spring contact 56 are electrically associated when the button 56 is pressed, by reason of a looped contact piece 64, (part of 56), which reaches inside the housing 51, and normally holds a shouldered inner end of the button outwardly against the side wall of the cap. To complete the circuit which includes the switch 62, 64, for the horn, the wire 63 leads to a terminal post 65 on the housing 61 of the light switch. This post 65 is moved into contact with the spring arm I of Fig. 2 when the cap III is set down on the base. Since the contact 24 is connected with an ungrounded portion of the battery, the horn will sound whenever the switch button 56 establishes electrical connection between the contact 64 and the central terminal 62.

The manner in which the,.light bulb 46 is grounded to the cap has already been described.

the post 6, and thence through the spring arm II to the side of the battery which is not grounded.

The two cells of the battery are shown connected in series. The upper cell (as shown on Fig. 5) is grounded as at G to the base through one of the battery-retaining arms 23. At the opposite end of the same cell the central pole is connected to the outside terminal of the other cell, as by a cross-strip i4, insulatively supported on the upright arms 22 of the battery supporting cradle.

I claim:

1. A combination electric signal and light unit for cycles comprising a base member adapted and arranged to be supported by a handle-bar assembly of a cycle, a battery and sound instrument mounted on the base, the instrument being electrically connected to one terminal of the battery by conductor means on said base, a cap detachably supported by the base, an electric light mounted inside the cap and exposed through one of its walls, conductor means on the cap for connecting the light to the battery, conductor means on the cap for completing the circuit from the sound instrument to the other pole of the battery, each of said means including a switch which switches are respectively adapted and arranged to render the light and instrument operative and inoperative, said conductor means of the base and cap being rendered effective subject to the control of the switches to establish the aioresaid circuits when the cap is attached to the base and ineffective when detached from the base.

2. In combination with a cycle handle bar assembly which includes an inverted L-shaped handle bar post and transversely extending handle bar carried by one of the arms of the post, a base structure adapted detachably to support a battery, said structure havingmeans arranged to engage the handle bar and other means attachable to the post at the intersection of its arms and cooperating with the first named means in supporting the base, and means adapted for electrical connection with and for operation by such battery, surmounting the base and attached thereto.

3. In a cycle light, a metal housing having an aperture in one of its walls, a lens of transparent material seated in the aperture and having a marginal annular flange turned inwardly of the housing, a centrally apertured reflector of electricaily conductive material adapted to be supplied by current and having a rim portion adjacent the inner surface of the flange, a light bulb having an electric terminal portion seated in the central aperture of the reflector and projecting therethrough to expose another electric terminal, and metallic means arranged to supply, current to such other electric terminal, said means being supported by abutting contact with' the housing and reacting on said other terminal in a manner to hold said rim portion of the reflector seated against the lens.

HERMAN L. mm. 

